Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I Need Therapy?

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you faced, there is nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self awareness to realize they need a helping hand and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are at in life and making an commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, redirect damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

How Can Therapy Help Me?

Therapy is a safe place to discuss problems and issues, past or present in a respectful manner. Therapy is an outlet where you can talk about difficulties in your life and try to problem solve to make positive changes that will improve the quality of your life and your families. Therapists can provide support in problem solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues, and creative blocks. Everyone has difficulties in their lives at different times sometimes and outside person can be helpful in helping you make positive changes in your life. These treatments will be conducted in a professional manner being sensitive to your cultural and value beliefs.

What is therapy like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (for any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs therapy can be short term for a specific issue, or longer term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire or more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).

It is important for you to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process such as reading a book, keeping a journal on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals. People seeking therapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives and are open to new perspectives and to take responsibility for their lives.

How is depression different from sadness or grief/bereavement?

The death of a loved one, loss of job, or the ending a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being “depressed”.

But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways;

In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In depression, mood and/or interest (pleasure) is decreased on most days.

In grief, self esteem is usually maintained. In depression, feelings of worthlessness and self loathing are common.

For some people, the death of a loved one can bring on depression. Losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression for some people. When grief and depression coexist, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression. Despite some overlap between grief and depression, they are different. Distinguishing between them can help people get the help, support, or treatment they need.

What is Trauma?/¿Qué Es El Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, natural disaster, or abuse. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives. Therapists can help these individuals find constructive ways of managing their lives.

El trauma es una respuesta emocional a un evento terrible como un accidente, un desastre natural o un abuso. Inmediatamente después del evento, la conmoción y la negación son típicas. Las reacciones a largo plazo incluyen emociones impredecibles, flashbacks, relaciones tensas e incluso síntomas físicos como dolores de cabeza o náuseas. Si bien estos sentimientos son normales, algunas personas tienen dificultades para seguir adelante con sus vidas. Los terapeutas pueden ayudar a estas personas a encontrar formas constructivas de administrar sus vidas.

What are symptoms of anxiety?

People with anxiety may worry about their immediate or long-term future. They may have uncontrollable, racing thoughts about something going wrong. They will avoid situations that could cause anxiety so that feelings and thoughts don’t become consuming. They think about death, in the sense of fearing death due to the perceived danger of physical symptoms or anticipated dangerous outcomes. Depending on the nature of the anxiety, these symptoms may vary. Simply put, those with anxiety are mentally preoccupied with worry to a degree that is disproportionate with the actual risk or reality.

What are the symptoms of Depression?

People with depression may be hopeless, assuming that nothing positive will happen in the future. They may believe it is not worth trying to think or feel differently, because of this hopelessness. They may feel worthless, as if who they are or what they do is not valuable. They think about death due to a persistent belief that life is not worth living or that they are a burden on others. Symptoms of depression vary. Some people have thoughts that are persistent most of the day, more days then not. People may vacillate between a very low mood and very high mood state.